Lock means for automobile door lock buttons



F. J. EVANS 2,950,614

LOCK MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK BUTTONS Aug. 30, 1960 Filed Aug. 21,1958 Frank/in J. Evans Fig.5

47 INVENTOR. BY ym; 15m

1953514 Patented Aug. 30, 1366 LOCK MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKBUTTONS Franklin J. Evans, 600 Grant St., Hazleton, Pa.

Filed Aug. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 756,389

11 Claims. (Cl. 70-181) This invention relates to lock means forautomobile door lock buttons of the type movable upwardly or downwardlyin an opening in the door window frame to move a push-pull rod upwardlyor downwardly for permitting or preventing, respectively, operation ofthe door unlocking handle, and it is designed as an improvement over thedoor button lock of my co-pending application Serial No. 584,911, filedMay 15, 1956, now Patent No. 2,855,773.

The primary object of this invention is to provide for such a doorlocking button, a single resilient snap action locking element movableinto a locking position to lock the button down to the window frameagainst casual movement upwardly, as by children in an automobile, andwhich is movable into unlocking position from the outside of anautomobile by pushing an ignition key against the element, together withmeans for releasably latching the element in unlocking position whenlocking of the button is not desired.

Another object is to provide a door lock button and locking meanstherefor of very simple, durable and inexpensive construction, and whichis safe to use when it is desired to lock an automobile door to lockchildren or the like in an automobile.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in vertical section of a lock button ofthis invention with the locking element therefor in locking position tolock the lock button down to the window frame;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the line 2-2of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the sameline of Figure 1 as Figure 2 and showing the locking element moved intounlocking position and latched in unlocking position;

Figure 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the lock button, thelocking element, and means for securing the element to the lock button,and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of locking element.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, according to the preferred form ofthe invention shown in Figures 1 to 4, the lock button, designatedgenerally by the numeral 1 comprises a vertically elongated cylindricalbody 3 having an enlarged upper finger-grip end 5 terminating in a topbutton 7 on said body 3 and, as is conventional, the body 3 is slidableupwardly and downwardly in an opening 6 formed in the bottom of thewindow frame 8 of an automobile door 11 to correspondingly move thepush-pull rod 13 which is threaded,

as at 15 into the lower end 17 of the body 3 and secured to said rod 13by a setscrew 19.

The body 3 is provided with a longitudinal slot 21 in its upper endportion extending downwardly from the button 7. A stop lug 23 dependsfrom the button 7 part way into the slot 21 at a front side 24 of thebody 3 below which said slot 21 is open at the front side 24 of saidbody.

An upstanding web 25 at the rear side 26 of the body 3 terminates in anupper tooth 27 spaced below the button 7. The purpose of the slot 21,stop lug 23 and the tooth 27 and web 25 will presently appear. A longitudinal groove 29 in the front side 24 of the body 3 extends from theslot 21 to the lower end 17 of the body and serves a purpose presentlyseen.

The locking element, designated generally by the numeral 31, is formedof resilient wire and extends upwardly at the front side 24 of the body3 with a hooked return bent lower end 33 terminally fixed in a longitudinal bore 35 in the lower end 17 of the body 3 and which curves underthe lower end 17 of said body, and whereby said element 31 normallyflexes forwardly of said body 3 above said end 33 of the element intolocking position, but is flexible rearwardly into unlocking position. Anupper end portion 37 of the locking element 31 is disposed in said slot21 and movable forwardly and rearwardly therein and engages the stop lug23 to limit flexing of said element 3-1 forwardly into locking position,whereas, said upper end portion 37 engages the web 25 to limit flexingof the locking element 31 rearwardly into unlocking position.

A right angled bend in an intermediate portion of the locking element 31and which forms a locking shoulder 39 on said element 31 is projectedand retracted out of and into the slot 21 in response to flexing of thelocking element 31 into locking and unlocking positions respectively.

A rearwardly extending terminal eye 41 on the upper end portion 37 ofthe locking element 31 releasably hooks in the unlocking position of thelocking element 31 over the tooth 21 with a snap-action to latch saidlocking element 31 in unlocking position and projects when hooked orengaged over the tooth 27 partway out of the slot 21 for a purposepresently seen.

The operation of the invention will be readily understood. The lockbutton 1 is pushed downwardly into home locking position, shown inFigures 1 and 2, to correspondingly operate the push rod 13 forvpreventing unlocking of the door 11. In response to such movement of thelock button 1, the locking element 31 between the shoulder 39 and thelower end 17 of the body 3 slides in the opening 6 against the frame 8until the stop shoulder 39 is below said opening. Thus the element 31 isflexed into unlocking position and latched in that position with aportion thereof below the shoulder 39 ex- 7 tending into the groove 29to brace said locking element. When the lock button 1 is thus pushedhome, the locking element 31 may be unlatched by the pressure of athumb, as shown in broken lines in Figure 3, against the eye 41 torelease the eye from the tooth 27 to unlatch the latch means, whereupon,the locking element 31 will flex forwardly and engage the stop shoulder39 under the frame 8 at the opening 6 to lock said lock button down inhome, locking position.

To unlock the lock button 1 for movement upwardly for permitting thedoor :11 to be unlocked, the locking element 31 is flexed rearwardlyuntil it is latched in unlocking position and by inserting an ignitionkey 43 I r a V 3 a the lock button ,1 is pushed down and home, thelocking shoulder 39 will engage under the frame 8 with a snap action toform a-snap action lock for locking the lock buttondown.-- .7 rlit Inthemodified form of the invention shownin Figure 5, the locking element,designated 45, is provided with a helical'coil 47- 'atlits lowerend-forg'reaterresiliency of the locking element. a i a a a Theforegoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the,invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled "in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed,

and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed. 7 7 aWhat is claimed as new is asfollows:

1. For use in connection with a vehicle door slide bolt lockingmechanismof the typeincluding an apertured window frame on said doorhaving an operating rod extending through said aperture and mounted withsaid locking mechanism for reciprocal movement between limits forlocking said mechanism when in a retracted position and. unlocking saidmechanism when in an extended position, a door locking button comprisingan elongated cylindrical body adapted for 'secu'rement with the extendedend of said rod for movement therewith through said aperture, said bodyhaving a slot formed therethrough, a resilient locking element securedto said body having a laterally projecting stop shoulder adapted toengage a .portion of the inner surface of said frame adjacent saidaperture normally resiliently urged toward an extended locking positionand movable between said movement of said resilient element from saidone side of said body and may be released from retainment in an unlockedposition upon inward lateral movement of said retaining means from theother side of said body, said retaining means engaging a portion of'theouter surfaces of saidlbody defining said other end of said slotwhen 'retainingsaidiresilient locking element in the unlocked position,wherein said retaining means engages a portion of the outer surfacesofsaid body defining saidother end of said slot when retaining saidresilient locking element in the unlocked position. 7 t

2. In a vehicle door of the, type including a locking mechanism and awindow frame having an aperture formed therein through which anupstanding'operating rod connected with the locking mechanismextends'forreciprocal, movement between limits for locking said 7 mechanism wheninra' retracted positionand unlocking said mechanism when in an extendedposition, the improvement comprising; an axially extending 'doorllockingbutton secured to the upper end of said rod, said button comprising anelongated member longitudinally receivable through said aperture, aresilient locking element extending longitudinally of-said body, alongone side thereof,

means securinglthe lower end of said locking element to a lower portionof said body, said body having a transversely extending openingtherethrough, an upper portion of said locking element terminating in alaterally pro jectingshoulder portion receivable in said opening in arecessed position from said one side' of said body, said 1 lockingelement being inherently resilient for normally 4 frame, said shoulderportion terminating in abutment means for engagement by an implementinserted in said opening from said one 'sidejof said body to move saidshoulder portion inwardly of said opening to said recessed position, andresilient retaining means carried by said abutment meansreleasabl-y'engaging said body and retaining said shoulder portion insaid recessed position, said retaining mean projecting outwardly 'oftheother side of said body through said opening when retaining saidshoulder portion in the'recessedlposition whereby it may be fingered tobe released;

3. The combinationof claim '2 wherein said resilient locking elementincludes an upwardly and outwardly inclined cam portion intermediate'thelower endthereof and said shoulder portion engageable with the edges ofsaid windowframe defining saidaperturethroughwhich Isaid body-projectstourge said shoulderportion intotsaid v recessed position in said openingand to engage said retaining means with saidbody ilpon movement of saidbody from an'upper unlocked position to a lower locked position, r r

'4. The combination of claim 2 wherein at least the end of said openingcommunicating with said one side of said body is of a sufiicientlyreduced width to preclude direct portion engageable with said frame tomove said locking element to the unlocked recessed position uponmovement 7 said longitudinalbore, a locktscrew rthreadedly engaged 6.The combination of claiml including a longitudinal blind bore formed inthe lower endof'said body adapted toreceive the extended end of saidrod, said body having a transverse bore formed therein communicatingwith in said transverse bore.

7. The combination of claim 2 wherein said resilient locking elementcomprises a length of spring wire.

8. The combination of'claim 2 wherein said transverse 7 opening isprovided with stopimeans, said abutment means normally engaging saidstop means for limiting move- ,ment of said shoulder portion outwardlyof said body. 7 r

position, saidbody having a longitudinally extending groove formed insaid one side below saidlopening, said cam portion being at leastpartially received in said groove when said shoulder portion is recessedwithin said-opening.

10., The combination of claim 2 including/an upstanding web carried bysaid body and extending across the a lower part of the end oflsaidopening remote from said urging said shoulder portion outwardly ofsaidrbody and V into engagement with'the' undersurface of ,said window"one side ofrsaid body, said retaining means including a resilientterminal eye portion formed on said abutment means for engagementwiththe upper edge of said web.

References Cited inthe file of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS r 2,358,607Tinnerman l l Sept, '19, 1944 2,708,845 ,Trammell l May 24, 19552,908,155 chun1ann Qst 3 5

